Is O. Panneerselvam lobbying for a berth for his son?

The AIADMK-led front may have managed to win just one Lok Sabha seat in the State, but that did little to douse speculation in political circles on Friday whether Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam’s son, P. Raveendranath Kumar, the victorious candidate from Theni, would be included in the Union Council of Ministers. Sources in the BJP said that the Deputy Chief Minister had been lobbying with the national party for his son’s inclusion in the Ministry. Considering the fact that Mr. Raveendranath Kumar is a first-time MP, he may, in the event of making it to the Ministry, only get a Minister of State or Deputy Minister berth. But the State unit of the BJP seems to be miffed at the prospect of a first-time MP becoming a Minister. Already upset that none of its five candidates could become an MP and the dismal performance of the alliance in general, leaders of the BJP in the State claim Mr. Panneerselvam and his son started lobbying even during the campaign. The Deputy CM even managed to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a rally in Theni, even though there was no such plan originally. There, his son touched Mr. Modi’s feet to seek his blessings. For Mr. Panneerselvam, a ministry allotted to his son would lend some semblance of a balance of power vis-a-vis the EPS faction, though they claim to work together.

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